Councils ordered to replace lead piping

Local authorities in Cork, Kerry and Clare have been ordered to quickly replace almost 5,000 metres of lead piping after high levels of lead were found in their water.

Lead poisoning in adults can lead to nerve damage, increased blood pressure and reproductive problems. In children, it can damage brain development and the nervous system.

There is a renewed emphasis on replacing lead pipes with plastic pipes as the maximum safe level of lead allowed in drinking water is set to fall following the introduction of new EU regulations at the end of next year.

The current permissible concentration of lead in drinking water is 25 microgrammes a litre. This will be reduced to 10mg from December next year.

According to the EPA, samples from 23 water authorities breached acceptable lead limits in 2010. If the authorities had been tested using 2013 regulations, 63 supplies would have been in breach of EU regulations

Some of the circulars warning of a need to upgrade were first sent to the councils by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) three years ago when high concentrations of lead was detected in water emanating from Mallow and Cobh, Co Cork, Ennis, Co Clare and Lough Guitane, Co Kerry.

However, difficulties in accessing funding, getting access to private land to complete the works and with the procurement process meant much of the upgrading hasn’t been undertaken yet, according to the EPA.

Cork County Council says it has replaced lead mains at Cobh, at a cost of €500,000. It has complained, however, that some residents of older homes in Cobh have failed to replace their own internal lead pipework, despite warnings from the local authority.

No work has started yet, however, on the Mallow upgrade. Cork County Council is choosing consulting engineers to oversee the Mallow overhaul and the project will soon go to tender. The council predicts the €610,000 project, which will see 2,036m of lead piping replaced, will be completed well in advance of the Dec 2013 deadline.

Kerry County Council has confirmed it received the legally binding direction from the EPA to identify and replace lead piping in the area.

“We have identified 1,484m of such pipes on the public network. We will have the works completed before the end of next year which will comply with the EPA’s direction,” said a spokesman.

In recent days, Kerry County Council received €60,000 of funding towards the works. The remainder is to be funded under their Mains Rehabilitation Programme.

Ennis was informed last year that it needed to replace lead mains and lead stopcock connection pipes at 84 houses at Marian Avenue, Aherne Terrace and Linnane Terrace.